Thoughts and Deeds
by crazygirl043
Summary: Minerva's view of the night she was Stunned, becoming AU in future chapters. With Dumbledore near her all the way, nothing can go wrong. Can it?
1. Chapter 1

Title: Thoughts and Deeds  
Summary: Minerva's view of the night she was Stunned, becoming AU in future chapters. With Dumbledore near her all the way, nothing can go wrong. Can it?  
Rating: T for later chapters, just to be safe. Tell me if you think it's too high a rating though, I'm a very bad judge of these things...  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, although I must, I suppose, take responsibility for the plot.  
A/N: Rather strange, but I hope you like it.

What? What was going on? There were noises around, noises that made her sad, noises that made her worry. What was all the fuss about? Why wouldn't these people just let her get a good night's rest for once in her life!

She sat up and opened her eyes. Everyone had gone, but the noises remained, slowly fading. Where was she? This looked like a place she used to go years and years ago. The grass was green, there were many trees around, and a little brook bubbling past her. Once upon a time, she would come here to read, and would stay for hours and hours. How did she get to here from Hogwarts though?

Minerva moved her hand and found a book there beside it, her favourite as a child. She picked it up and flicked through the pages. It was in fact hers from decades ago – see just there, where she had coloured in the line drawings when she was seven.

When she turned back to the front again to read it, however, her brow creased. Instead of words now, there was a movie playing across the first two pages. It seemed to be set at Hogwarts, at night-time, just outside the front door. A few people were walking briskly down the hill towards the forest, in the direction of Hagrid's hut, wands at the ready. Minerva frowned. She then saw someone else burst out through the front doors, apparently screaming something at the group; although there was no sound so she couldn't tell what. They turned around towards the woman. One of the people in the group was short and squat, and wore a frightening leer on her face. She said something, and the whole group raised their wands. Red light filled the picture.

Minerva felt a sudden pain in her chest, and had difficulty breathing for a minute. She looked down, seeing no physical cause for it and resolving to ask Madam Pomfrey about it next time she had the chance.

The pain struck again, this time worse. She couldn't breathe at all. She began to panic as her vision left her and she passed out.

When she next opened her eyes, she saw only stars. She tried to turn her head, but couldn't muster the energy. Looking around as much as her eyes alone would allow, she saw the castle. In one of the towers – could it be the astronomy tower? – she saw a group of students staring out the window.

"Get back to your exams, children!" she shouted. At least, she tried to shout. There was no sound, and she wasn't entirely sure her mouth had moved, either. She closed her eyes, trying to think of a solution to being Petrified. The next thing she knew, she was surrounded by people. She heard mention of 'mediwizards', 'St Mungo's', 'stunners', and 'dead'.

"Who's dead?" she asked, worried that the red light had hurt someone.

"What was that? Was that her? What did she say?" she heard.

"Shh," someone said very close to her ear. "Don't speak to me. I'm invisible. You'll be fine. Nobody is dead, thank Merlin."

"Albus?" she murmured.

"Dumbledore left, Minerva. Nobody knows where he is," one of the others replied.

"I know where he is," the invisible one chuckled softly. Minerva smiled faintly.

She heard more people arriving, and then felt herself being moved onto a stretcher.

"Don't go." She barely made a sound, but Dumbledore understood.

"I'll be around, Minerva. You know I always am." He patted her hand as she slipped back into unconsciousness.

She had returned to the woods. The book was still there, but she didn't want to read it for fear of what else she might find inside. She simply curled up against a tree by the brook and watched a squirrel search for nuts in the grass. It darted around under the trees, and whenever it found a nut, it would clasp it in its little hands and carry it back to the small hollow in the base of another tree, in between the roots.

"Minerva," someone said from behind her. She turned around slowly to see Dumbledore there.

"How did you get here, Albus? For that matter, how did I? I have absolutely no idea what is going on. Could you fill me in?" she asked briskly, although obviously glad to see him.

"I believe you saw a movie in the book you have now abandoned, Minerva," he began. "Perhaps you recognize some of the events shown?"

She shook her head. He nodded understandingly.

"Go and take a look now. You won't see anything you don't know about already."

Minerva frowned, but went and picked up the book and began to read it. This time, the woman who had been following the group was lying on the ground in what appeared to be a very uncomfortable position. For a moment, you could tell that she opened her eyes, and then the viewpoint turned to see a window in the Astronomy tower, where students were gathered.

"Albus, who is she?" Minerva asked, not entirely sure she wanted to know the answer.

"I think you know," he replied, the light in his eyes slightly dying for a moment.

She did know. She looked again and the woman was surrounded by people. A team of mediwizards was fast approaching, stretcher at the ready.

"Why? What happened?" Dumbledore's face grew uncharacteristically sour.

"The Headmistress and her supporters saw fit to attack Hagrid. You did not approve. You took four Stunners to the chest."

Probably no need to see Poppy after all, then, she decided. Either I'm dead or I'm at St Mungo's.

"So, have you taken to walking the afterlife, or am I still functional?" she asked matter-of-factly.

"You are alive, Minerva, although not much more than that. I must admit that I have been lurking around your bedside for a few days now, but you haven't done very much at all. I thought I might try to visit you here."

"Here being…?"

"Inside your mind, I believe."

"Ah."

He nodded and gave her a moment to think.

"So I've been out for how long exactly?" she eventually asked.

"Four, maybe five days. You haven't said or done anything since that night."

"Is there something I can do to return to consciousness? Any way I can help the Healers?" Dumbledore smiled. Minerva never was one to sit around when she could avoid it.

"It would help if you took time every so often to meditate on returning, imagining yourself returning, becoming utterly immersed in that thought." She nodded.

It was then that she noticed that she had been standing for a very long time. Too long, in fact. So long…

Dumbledore caught her as she collapsed, and laid her down on the ground carefully. He sat too, and for a moment considered cradling her head in his lap. He didn't, of course – he valued his life too much. But he did take one of her hands, trying to keep it warm.

* * *

Please review, if you feel so inclined... more will come soon, hopefully tomorrow if I remember. 


	2. Chapter 2

She opened her eyes. There was no-one in the room, although she could see the shadows of mediwizards passing her door periodically. Her neck was sore, and she tried to move her head into a different position. The moment she tried to move, however, she was hit by a wave of pain so bad that she nearly passed out again. Nevertheless, she held onto her consciousness while she had it.

The clock in the corner of the room said that it was ten o'clock. There was no light coming from the window, so she assumed that it was night-time. A few minutes later, somebody knocked on her door and entered, carrying a clip-board. She supposed that they were a medical person of some description.

The person approached her and quickly began to take her pulse. They didn't seem to notice Minerva's open eyes, or awareness of anything at all. She coughed softly to draw attention to her face, and then was very pleased to see the smile resulting from making eye contact with the person.

"Ms McGonagall! I'm very pleased to see you're awake, ma'am. I'll make sure to alert one of the doctors for you. Is there anything you would like?"

She wanted a glass of water. Literally hadn't had anything to drink in days, and her throat was parched. But the problem remained that she couldn't feasibly talk or move any part of herself (apart from her eyes) without causing herself considerable discomfort. She resigned herself to simply moving her eyes from one side to the other, and eventually the person realized she meant no. They left and soon returned with a doctor, who appeared to have had a very long day.

"Good evening, Ms McGonagall. Glad to see you're awake again. How are you feeling?"

She rolled her eyes. How did he think she was feeling after being in a coma for most of the week? Honestly.

The doctor waited for a few minutes before realising that she wasn't about to reply.

"Ms McGonagall?" he said again. Again, she rolled her eyes. "So… you're conscious, obviously, but you've… lost control of most motor functions? Or does moving cause you a lot of pain? If you could just, uh, look to your left for the first option, right for the second." She looked to the right, then returned to staring at him.

"I see. I'll organise someone to perform a Palliative Charm on you as soon as possible, and then if you're awake in the morning I'll see you then. No objections?" She just stared at him, and he left quickly. She heard him call one of the mediwitches on night duty to her room.

Where was Albus? She'd seen him just… well, in her dream, she supposed. Where he may not even have been at the time, although she wouldn't put it past him.

A witch bustled in, performed the charm, then left briskly, without ever actually speaking to Minerva. The old witch would normally have been offended, but was at that point rather relieved to be able to move her limbs without passing out, so didn't mention it. She reached over to the bedside table where someone had placed a jug of water and a glass, and drank deeply, which made her feel a lot better. She put the glass down and fell asleep.

* * *

Please review if you feel so inclined! 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2 was pretty short so here is chapter 3 as well. I hope you like it...

"Good lord, Albus, have you nowhere better to be than in my mind? I am perfectly fine now, thankyou very much, and will be back at Hogwarts just as soon as the Healers say I may, if not sooner."

"Of course, my dear. I'm very glad you're feeling better, and it is most likely that this is the last time we shall meet here. As you suggest, I could probably find other places that need me just as much."

_Not more, though._

Minerva blinked. What a strange thing to think. Very odd. She supposed she was a little confused by the Palliative Charm.

"Anyway, I came to tell you of everything that's been going on. And, I suppose, to give you a little company. I assure you that everybody has been missing yours."

"Except maybe the Ministry," she added with a wry smile.

"No, no, on the contrary! While you were gone, a large group of Gryffindors chased Madam Umbridge into the middle of a herd of centaurs. You can imagine how her half-breed policies went down there. Anyway, if you wanted to visit her, she has been spending some time in the Psychiatric wing."

Professor McGonagall snorted, but was very curious.

"Tell me more. Especially the bit where Umbridge got committed, if you know it, but the rest of it sounds like rather a good story too. Was Potter by any chance one of the Gryffindors?"

"Naturally. Harry Potter, Ronald and Ginevra Weasley, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, and Luna Lovegood of Ravenclaw were the students involved."

"Longbottom and Lovegood? Since when did they break rules habitually? I imagine Longbottom caused considerable damage to the castle if he tried to use his wand."

"Only to Professor Umbridge's personal effects. And that only when she threatened to use the Cruciatus curse on Harry," Minerva gasped, "thinking that he knew where I was. Neville has come a surprisingly long way in the last few months, particularly in the field of Defence Against the Dark Arts. I believe he is a member of Harry's Defence group."

"You mean, Dumbledore's Army?" Minerva laughed. Albus rolled his eyes.

"That's the one. Well, anyway... Minerva, my dear, are you quite all right?"

A strained look had come onto the woman's face.

"I... I don't feel very well. And everything here is changing colour, and there's a strange smell, and you're fading..." She slumped down to sit on the ground, looking up at Dumbledore worriedly

Albus frowned. "Minerva, I'm going to come to St Mungo's and wake you up. I don't like the sound of this at all. I'll be gone for just a moment, and then you'll wake up and I'll be there." He knelt too, and clasped her hands together between his. They were very cold.

"Alright, Albus. Don't be long, will you?" she replied, trying not to let her voice waver.

Dumbledore looked at her, then gave her a quick hug, murmured 'Be right back,' and disappeared. Minerva curled her legs up underneath her, not knowing what else to do but hope that the man would return very soon and help her. She soon found herself to be falling asleep even within her dream, and eventually dropped off.

* * *

Please review if you feel so inclined! 


	4. Chapter 4

Definitely AU from here on in I think... hope you like it still. And to the people who reviewed and said they found it interesting so far, thankyou very much for your time and comment and I'm very glad it interests you. I'll update as often as I can.

* * *

The next thing she knew was that she was awake, and that she was on the ground, and that it was very dark. This confused her, as St Mungo's left lanterns burning all night, and she wondered where she was. And where Dumbledore was.

"Albus?" she called softly. Nobody replied. "Albus, where are you? What are we doing here?" But there was not a sound in response.

Then she heard something move. She turned around quickly and squinted into the darkness, but could see nothing. A rat skittered across the ground in front of her.

"I don't like this place, Albus," she whispered.

"What's wrong with it?" a nasal voice replied. She didn't recognise it and was about to scream, but no sooner had she opened her mouth wide than the owner of the nasal voice crammed an enormous handkerchief in her mouth, and she spluttered, almost choking.

"You'd better shut up. My Lord will be wanting to see you in a moment."

That didn't sound good. How many lords did she know? Just the one, and he was not very friendly.

The door opened and she could see the silhouette of another man in the doorway.

"Bring her in as soon as she's ready. Do you need any help?"

"Nah. This one won't fight. Because she knows there'll be trouble if she does. Right, sweetheart?"

"Better rope her just in case though. Want me to do that?"

"I can do it. I like this part best."

Professor McGonagall was now quite terrified, although she did her best not to show it. While the man started to roughly tie her hands, she suddenly began to retch, feeling very nauseous, and tried desperately to spit the material out of her mouth.

"Ditch the gag for the moment, Nott. The chloroform'll do that to you, and we don't want her choking to death yet." The nasal-voiced man grudgingly pulled the handkerchief out of her mouth, allowing her to throw up.

"Water?" she asked, voice rasping and eyes watering. Not having eaten anything in several days, she had only bile to throw up, which was horribly unpleasant.

The two men looked at each other.

"Couple of sips, maybe..." the one in the doorway suggested. "So she can talk properly."

Nott snorted but went into another room and returned with half a glass of water. While he did this, the other man came over and continued to tie her hands. He was gentler than the first one.

"Oh, I almost forgot – Nott, orders are that you're to go with Narcissa to negotiate something with Borgin. I can handle this one from here."

The nasal man was obviously not impressed, but did not dare ignore orders from the Dark Lord. He quickly left, leaving the water on the table and slamming the door behind him.

* * *

Please review if you feel so inclined. Also, after next chapter the chapters might start going up a bit slower - so far I've written 5 chapters, and will continue ASAP. Next chapter will be considerably longer than this one. 


End file.
